Katharine Steel

Katharine Steel lived in the wilderness of Colonial America, where she raised her family as a widow and defended her family and other settlers in the wilderness of South and North Carolina. When the Revolutionary War broke out, she urged her sons to fight against the British.

Background
The area now known as South Carolina was inhabited by Catawba, Cherokee, Waxhaw, and 26 other Native American nations that had lived in the area for centuries. It became a British colony named Carolina and was inhabited by European Americans first in the southern part of the colony, near Charleston in 1670. In 1710, the colony was split into North and South Carolina. White settlers began to settle in the northern part of what is now the state of South Carolina.

Native American populations began to reduce in number, the population of native people in 1775 was a tenth of what it had been in 1600. The Cherokee, Catawba, and other peoples did not have immunity against diseases from Europe. Some villages were completely eradicated by smallpox and other infectious diseases. A lot of Native Americans also died during warfare with white people. Ultimately, they had been driven west away from their homelands. What had been a Native American path of the Catawba and other nations that went through present-day Chester County, South Carolina became part of the Great Wagon Road, which was used by settlers to travel from the northern colonies. Scots-Irish people left their homes in Virginia and Pennsylvania for Chester County in the mid-18th century. Fishing Creek and Rocking Creek were the first places that were settled.

South Carolina saw more fighting than any other colony of the American Revolutionary War. Two of the key engagements in the northwestern part of the colony were the Battle of Kings Mountain and the Battle of Cowpens.

Biography
Katharine Fisher was born in Pennsylvania about 1725 of Scottish-Irish ancestry, whose family had immigrated to the colonies from Ulster, Northern Ireland. She was described as being "good-natured and fun-loving", traits that she had throughout her life. She married Thomas Steel, who also descends from Scottish-Irish people from Ulster, in 1745 and they lived in Pennsylvania. She became Katharine Steel. The couple had three daughters and two sons. The Steel family moved to the wilderness of the Province of South Carolina, living about one mile from the Catawba River, along Fishing Creek. At first, they had occasional visits from the Catawba people, but lived remotely from other settlers. Thomas traded with the Cherokee. After a couple of years, John Gaston lived about one mile away along the creek. Their families, especially their sons, became close friends.

Concerned about attacks from the Cherokee people, Thomas built a blockhouse for safety. Sometimes the men left the stronghold, called Steel's Fort, to maintain their crops or fight Native Americans. Steel, nicknamed Witty Katy of the fort, was a good marksman and had other characteristics, like intelligence and courage, that made her the leader of the fort. She had a calming influence that helped the women and children wait out the time until they could return to their homes. Steel taught her daughters how to fire rifles.

John McDaniel had a family of nine living at Rock Creek. They were attacked by the Cherokee and John and his wife were killed. Their nine children were taken and Thomas led a group of people to claim the children, and they were returned to their uncle, Hugh McDaniel. Steel made it her mission to ensure that families were safe near and far away. She checked in on families as far away as 90 90 miles to the north in the Yadkin River area. During those times, she left her baby with Robert Brown who lived about 12 miles to the north. She was particularly concerned for women who were left alone when their husbands were away. She rode up to 100 miles a day through the wilderness to check on other settlers.

Thomas died when during a journey to the Mississippi River to trade goods in 1763 or 1764. He had been gone for a year with Stephen White and James Hemphill, who returned safely. In 1775, Cherokee warriors attacked settlers, and one of Steel's sons John led a company of militiamen, including the sons of John Gaston, in a battle against the Cherokee. They fought together at Fort Moultrie (near Charleston, South Carolina) and further battles against the British during the Revolutionary War. John became a favorite of General Thomas Sumter after he saved the leader from capture. John was called the "Murat of the Catawba" during the Revolutionary War. Steel urged her 17-year-old son Thomas to join the war as a patriot. Thomas served with his brother.

John Steel was at his mother's house when a group of Torys intended to ambush him. Steel saw the soldiers and shouted about their arrival. John as able to get on his horse and safely ride away, but several of his men were killed. They had been standing near Steel, and although her dress had four bullet holes, she was not injured. The Tories set Steel's house on fire. Some of John's men made it safely to General Sumter, but some of his men were captured.

Steel died in 1784 at the old blockhouse. John was to have inherited all of his father's property, according to the laws at the time, but instead, the land was divided up among the five children. The three daughters and their husbands received large parcels of land. Margaret was married to William Wylie. Mary was married to Robert Archer. And, Nancy was married to Thomas Bell. John received his share of the subdivided land, which included the homestead. Thomas also received his share.

Considered a heroine of the Revolutionary War, a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was named after her in 1906.